England and Ghana will fight for a place in World Cup round of 16 when the two unbeaten sides meet in a Group L decider on Tuesday.
Both teams have opened their campaigns with wins and know that another win would put them in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages of the expanded 48-team tournament.
England head into the competition on the back of an entertaining 4-2 win over Croatia, while Ghana edged Panama 1-0 to continue their impressive start.
England are looking to build on their attacking strength
The Three Lions impressed in their first game, with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford all scoring.
Midfielder Declan Rice said England’s performance against Croatia in the second half showed the level the team must maintain if they are to challenge for the title.
“We as players know the level, we know what it takes, and that performance in the second half was probably a benchmark for us in terms of having to start the game at that level,” Rice said.
“We believe that if we can do that from the first minute, with the players we also have to throw in and finish the game, we can beat any opponent in the world.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel was also given a boost after confirming that winger Bukayo Saka is no longer struggling with an Achilles problem.
“Bukayo is getting better and better,” Tuchel said. “He doesn’t feel pain anymore.”
Ghana ready for the challenge
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz believes that meeting one of the tournament favorites will motivate his players rather than intimidate them.
“This is the easiest type of game, because when you’re getting ready to play against England, France or Germany, you don’t have to say anything to the players,” Queiroz said.
“We know they have three lions on their shirt, but we come from Ghana and we have 33 million lions to fight for this game.”
The Black Stars will be boosted by the availability of midfielder Thomas Partey, who missed the opening win over Panama.
Match odds
England are favorites for all three points, but Ghana’s disciplined performance against Panama suggests they will provide a tough test.
With qualification for the knockout rounds potentially over, both teams have a lot to play for in what promises to be one of the highlights of the group stage.
Tuesday’s game at Gillette Stadium, Houston, kicks off at 16:00 local time (21:00 WAT)
